My uncle was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 11/00, As soon a he started Chemotherapy his cancer started to spread. During the treatment we had him tested for HIV and it came out positive. He was told he had AIDS. For how long. We don't know. He's 54 years old and very tired. Because of the AIDS they stopped Chemo and started Radiation. The cancer has spread dramatically. He has visible tumors on his neck, back and chest. We are at a loss. The doctor has told us he gives him a month or two to live. Should we believe him? Is there something we can do. He has begun his meds for the AIDS and has been on Rituxan since he was diagnosed. I don't know his viral load or CD4. Can you give me the worse scenario?

Response from Dr. Dezube

Dear niece/nephew: You ask for the worse case scenario. I think you could imagine what that might be. I would rather give you the best case scenario. There are different chemotherapy regimens (e.g. CHOP, EPOCH); hopefully he'll respond to one of them. If his lymphoma responds to one of these regimens and his HIV responds to the anti-viral medications, he could potentially do well. It's hard for me to talk about his prognosis since alot depends on the way he responds, his CD4 count, his viral load, and his overall health. Good Luck. BD.

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